Entries from Kilimanjaro
Greetings friends and family. Today marks the start of our great African adventure to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. It's with much excitement that the team has finally come together here in Tanzania at the beautiful Arumeru River Lodge.
Although some of the team braved long 20+ hour flights from home in getting here, others took advantage of being this far from home to enjoy time in Amsterdam, Monaco and Tuscany before arriving. A few folks just arrived early to the hotel and were able to relax by the pool after what can be an exhausting trans continental flight.
The wonderful staff at our hotel restaurant even stayed open late when the last of the crew didn't get here from the airport until 10:30 pm last night. We're off to a great start as we prepare for a full morning tomorrow. We'll review our itinerary and what we can expect on the mountain, and then do a thorough equipment check to make sure we have everything necessary to have a fantastic expedition as we scale the heights Kilimanjaro over the course of the next seven days.
Following a bustling morning we'll be treated to a relaxing afternoon before we get underway the following day. Mmm... a cold drink by the pool might just be the ticket to rid myself of the last of my jet lag.
We'll talk again soon,
RMI Guide Brent Okita
The normally intimidating Barranco Wall wasn’t so intimidating for my team today. We cruised up it. Perhaps it was because we all got pretty good sleep in Barranco Camp last night. Or it might have been Bruno’s outstanding 8 AM breakfast. Maybe we were energized by the staff breaking into a spirited singing and dancing session in honor of our 9 AM departure. In any case we set off up the network of lava ledges and gullies and none of the team seemed the least bit concerned with the drop-offs and consequences for mis-steps. Nobody puzzled over how to pull up onto the next ledge or on how to let porters with loads squeeze by in such tight spaces. We were up the whole thing in 90 minutes and joking about going back down to do it again. The morning had started out clear but we were in familiar clouds from the top of the wall all the way to Karanga Camp which we reached by about 12:30 PM. Our crew blew us away with another excellent lunch and a well-built camp for us to relax in at 13,100 ft. The clouds fell away just before sunset, enabling us to see Kibo shining and majestic with recent snow. The winds got going a little around camp as we ate dinner and sheltered in the dining tent. With it a little on the cold side, we were inclined to linger a bit longer over hot tea for an after-dinner storytelling session before bed.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
Heather and Brian saw the Lunar Eclipse last night, just before midnight. A few of us ventured out between 2 AM and four, but it was a done deal. Nothing to see except a big moon and stars and planets and a mountainside full of glaciers and snowfields glowing in the dark. The light show continued when we met for coffee at 6:30 with the last of the moon in the West and the first bit of sun in the East turning Kibo’s cloudcap orange.
We got walking at 8 AM in excellent cool and clear conditions. The terrain was easier on this day, and the path was plenty wide as we gradually gained altitude. We kept track of the changing vegetation as we climbed, going from sage-like brush mixed with juniper in the heather and moorland zone to the sparse and spare grasses and mosses of the alpine desert zone. Philip led the team past their previous high points to set a bunch of new altitude records at the 15,200 ft lava tower. There, after a leisurely lunch right up close under Kibo’s steep cliffs and ice fields, we began our descent-ultimately into the extraordinary gardens of the Barranco Valley. Clouds overtook us for a time, but as we pressed onward and downward we earned clearing skies again and striking views of the giant mountain, the giant senecios, and the giant lobelias. Our staff treated the team to a rousing rendition of the beloved Jambo song as we came into our 13,000 ft camp. After seven hours on the trail it was time for some comfortable afternoon lounging in the tents. Chef Bruno cooked up yet another amazing mountain dinner and we ate like kings. We all stood still for a few minutes coming out of the dining tent to ooh and ahhh in the dark. The planets and stars were joined tonight by the lights from the town of Moshi, twinkling down below.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Hey, Kevin! Karie just let me in on your awesome adventure!!! Be safe and enjoy every amazing moment.
Prayers,
Judy
Posted by: Judy Papanek on 7/29/2018 at 10:02 am
Kevin
We are really enjoying following you on your adventure. Enjoy and stay safe.
Posted by: Dick and Kay Seubert on 7/29/2018 at 8:49 am
The clouds were right down on top of us again as we started the day at the Arumeru River Lodge. We were ready to go soon after breakfast and so we set sail at 8:15 in the bus with a collection of duffel bags strapped to the roof.
The hustle and bustle out on the highway was continually interesting to us as a window into Tanzanian life. We studied the crops in the fields, the shops at roadside, the signs and vehicles and the people. This partially compensated for our inability to see Kilimanjaro in the distance. After nearly two hours we reached the busy Machame Gate to the National Park at 6000 feet. After an hour in a chaotic mix of climbers, porters, buses, trucks, monkeys and backpacks, we set out walking with our local guides. John, Eric, Philip and Philbret led us up a path in the thick rainforest. By this point we were in the clouds and things were just barely drizzly enough to justify wearing rain jackets. The trail was a little greasy, but nobody slipped or tripped as we steadily gained elevation. We marveled at the giant camphor trees, decorated with vines and hanging moss. In six hours, we saw a few birds, but no other animals as we transitioned to a different type of forest in the “heather and mooreland zone”. At 10,000 feet we came into camp and were happy to see that our incredible staff had tents in place and all ready for us to move into. We retired to the dining tent for delicious food, some adventure stories and a little bragging about past trips... and of course some scheming as to a plan for the present trip. We look forward to a well-earned rest tonight.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
The team met after breakfast for an introduction and strategy session. We discussed short and long term plans for climbing the mountain, gear and clothing needs, timing and itineraries and finally, the staffing by our outfitter, Barking Zebra Tours. The climbers then endured a rigorous, detailed and demanding equipment check by their lead guide before a lunch out on the covered patio of our dining room. Clouds were right down low and drizzly for most of the day, obscuring any views of Kilimanjaro and Meru -the two big and prominent volcanoes in the neighborhood. We focused on the scenery closer at hand -the immaculate and lush gardens of the hotel grounds. We watched and listened to exotic birds, monkeys and a small herd of Dik Diks roaming the grass and chewing the shrubs. The afternoon plan was a bit easier once things were packed and duffel bags were labeled and weighed. We simply relaxed and tried to recover from so much travel and the many time zones crossed in the process. We got together for dinner outside again, with most opting for a sweater or two since things were a little chilly (it being mid-winter, naturally). We’ve got plans for setting out early tomorrow and for getting started on the mountain of our dreams.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Against all odds... we each made it through the highways, security checkpoints, airplanes and airports, baggage carousels, and immigration officers lacing together half the globe to assemble in little Usa River, Tanzania. Eight climbers and one guide dribbled in over the course of 24 hours to form a Kilimanjaro climbing team. We still haven’t all seen each other in the same place... that will happen at 9 AM tomorrow after we’ve stretched out in the comfy beds and bungalows of the Arumeru River Lodge for a night. That is when we’ll get serious about preparations for our week-long Kili climb.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Great and safe hiking!! Will be thinking of all !!
❤️
Posted by: Aunt Vicki on 7/25/2018 at 2:44 pm
July 10, 2018
Posted by: Robby Young, Alan Davis
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro Peru Seminar
Elevation: 10,000'
Hello world!
We're back in the comfy confines of Hotel Andino in Huaraz City! We're indulging in the excellent cuisine here at the hotel, enjoying some clean clothes, and doing the "climbing gear shuffle" as we unpack and repack for our next adventure. Upcoming, Pisco Oeste, a nearly 19,000' peak located in the beautiful valley of Llanganuco. We've trained, we've acclimatized, we've climbed hard, and we've learned a lot this past week; and we're ready for the expedition ahead of us! The adventure begins tomorrow with a beautiful drive and a four-hour hike to Pisco Base Camp at 15,500', before a move to high camp the following day. It's been a wonderful stretch of climbing here in Peru so far, and we hope our good luck with weather will continue (fingers crossed!). For now, enjoy some photos from our last week in the Ishinca Valley. More to come!
RMI Guides Robby Young, Alan Davis, William, and Peru Team "Cuy"
Our final day in Africa started way out in Balloon Camp in Tarangire National Park. Our “tent cabins” were luxurious and the staff helpful and friendly in getting us out on the dirt road by 7 AM. We were still deep within the park, and so within a moment or two of saying our goodbyes we were standing in the back of the Landcruisers looking for leopards. They eluded us. But an extremely beautiful, quiet morning in the wilderness did not elude us. We stopped frequently for eagles, vultures, cool tracks, impalas and hartebeest. We came on a seemingly endless parade of giraffes who stopped long enough for a photo and to nibble the acacia trees in passing. Families of elephants came by on their grass eating missions, bound for rivers and pools. We looked up every tree and under every bush for cats and predators, but the best we could scare up were a couple of cute little jackals following a gang of impala.
By 11 AM we left the park and hit the highway toward Arusha. We made one stop as we reached town, at the cultural heritage museum and craft shop, then we pressed on toward Usa River and our hotel. We had time to shower and repack and even rest before an early dinner -our last together- and loading up on one more bus. Kilimanjaro was out and awesome as we ate and then rode toward the airport in the last of daylight. It seems hard to believe that two short weeks ago, we hadn’t all known one another. It also seems hard to believe how many things we’ve since accomplished as a team. We’ll start going in separate directions again fairly soon -but with a heck of a lot of fine memories to connect us.
Thanks for coming along for the ride.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
It was a little tough leaving the Plantation Lodge this morning -it is a very comfortable place and we’d enjoyed our two nights there, but it was time to be moving on. Tarangire National Park beckoned, and we were excited to see what we could see. There were a couple of important stops to make on the drive over, one of which was a visit to a Maasai village. The Maasai are just one of many tribes in Tanzania, but they stand out because they choose to continue living in a traditional style, forgoing modern conveniences. We witnessed singing and dancing and a demo of how to rub sticks to make fire. We went into the sleeping dwellings and asked our tour guides a million questions about polygamy, arranged marriages, education and building materials. The team did a little gift shopping when the women of the village presented their handmade craftwork. We then headed for the park, excited to see the wildlife. Tarangire is a series of parallel rivers and shallow valleys separated by rolling hills and broad savanna. Before too long we were spotting birds and impala, warthogs and waterbucks. It took a bit before we saw giraffes and elephants, but then things quickly got interesting. A bull elephant pointed himself directly at a couple of lounging lions and not only disturbed their date, he chased the male lion and stood trumpeting on the ground they surrendered. A high point for many of us was seeing elephant families that included a number of one month old babies. One family of 20 took to a pond to cool off and splashed, wrestled, drank and rolled for no other logical reason than that it was just plain old pachyderm fun. We found big and solitary bull elephants and watched their behavior... all serious and food focused, in contrast to the matriarch ruled families. Some of the day’s best cruising was done in late afternoon as the sun got low on lush green fields, gigantic baobab and skinny palm trees. We finished up in friendly Balloon Camp -a rustic hideaway hotel in the bush. We’ve got one last morning to see leopards and cheetahs.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Our safari guides, Juma and Edson, showed up right on schedule this morning with their souped up Toyota Landcruisers. We climbed in just after 8 AM and left Arumeru River Lodge -our home away from home. This was a good day to ride around in automobiles after a solid week of walking. It took some time to get through Arusha’s rush hour, but we were thoroughly entertained watching cargo motorcycles and the like. Eventually we broke into the open country west of town and rambled along dodging speed bumps and Maasai cattle. We reached Lake Manyara National Park at midday. Early on we focused on baboons and monkeys. Some of the big animals were just plain lazy on this hot and sunny day. It was around 90 F and so the elephants we spied in the forest were sticking to shady hollows. We began to see waterbucks and bushbucks, impala and exotic birds aplenty. As we came into open country along the lake edge, we could see zebra, wildebeest, and Cape buffalo everywhere. Looking at the nearby escarpment of the Great Rift Valley, it wasn’t too hard to imagine a time when such wildlife dominated its entire 10,000 km length. We spied giraffes, although not in great numbers. A hippo got out of the water long enough for us to admire his buff physique. We saw warthogs with their little warthoglets. The big cats eluded us today, although we kept sharp eyes peeled for them. All in all it was a great day out. Juma and Edson dazzled us with their knowledge of Tanzania, its parks and people... and the fabulous critters we were glimpsing. At quitting time we were parched and ready for a little relaxation. Everyone’s eyes opened wide when they saw Plantation Lodge’s perfectly cared for gardens, luxurious rooms and friendly staff. This place will do just fine, thanks... not missing our tents.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Hi Chris and Darrin! I’ve been following your entire trip and I am in awe of what you both accomplished! the scenery is beautiful and it appears like you all are having a great time. Congratulations on reaching all your goals on this trip. Talk soon!
Posted by: Cathy Brandes on 2/9/2018 at 9:23 am
First thing in the morning at look up what your doing. Feel a little like we are
there with you. Stay safe.
Posted by: kay and dick seubert on 7/30/2018 at 7:38 am
Kevin: We are enjoying reading about your journey. Hope you are having the trip of a lifetime. Enjoy and stay safe!
Posted by: Connie on 7/30/2018 at 6:06 am
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